Electron Energy Levels Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

Where are the electrons in an atom?

Orbiting the nucleus at different set distances (energy levels).

What happens to an electron when it absorbs electromagnetic radiation?

It moves to a higher energy level, further from the nucleus.

What happens when an electron moves to an orbit closer to the nucleus?

It emits electromagnetic radiation.

When an excited electron falls back to its original energy level, how much energy does the emitted electromagnetic radiation carry?

Exactly as much as the electron took in when it was excited: the energy gap between the two levels.